Sampling device



Sept. 19, 1944. w. N.'OSWALD SAMPLING" DEV-ICE Filed Nov. 17, 1939 2- Sheets-Sheet l 350mm W Abram/2 5511/2222 P 1944. w; N. OSWALD 2,358,470

SAMPLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 17. 1939 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented Sept. 19, 1944 SAMPIJNG nnvrcr:

W. Norman Oswald, Dallas, Tex assignor to Houston Oil Field Material Company, Inc., Houston, Tex, a corporation of Delaware Application November 17, 1939, Serial No. 304,919

3Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sampling devices.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing samples of the drilled "formation without necessitating the removal of the drill bit or stem from the well hole, said means being primarily designed for the acquisition of side wall samples.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved sampling device which is adapted to be connected in the usual drill stem and which includes means for obtaining a sample of the formation being drilled, said means being arranged so as to be insertable within and removable from said drill stem by a wire line, whereby a sample may be obtained at any point within vide an improved device, of the character de-,

scribed, including a body having a drill bit made integral therewith and arranged to be secured to the lower end of a drill stem, the body being provided with means for by-passing the drilling fluid to the bit during the drilling operation and also having a bore communicating with the drill stem through which a sampling tube may be lowered so as to project laterally from said body into engagement with the well bore, whereby a sample of the formation adjacent said bit may be taken at any time.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sampling device having a bore which communicates with the well hole through a radial opening, the bore being adapted to receive a sampling tool which is arranged to be lowered thereinto by a wire line, there being co-acting means on the tool and within said bore for holding the tube carried by the lower end of said tool in position within the radialopening, whereby lowering of the drill pipe will cause said tube to engage and take a sample of the adjacent formation;

the co-acting holding means being so arranged that raising of the tool by its upper end will automatically disconnect said means so as to readily permit removal of said tool.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved device, of the character described, wherein its bore is arranged to receivea sampling tool having a tube pivotally secured to its lower end, said bore having means disposed therein for orienting the tube, whereby the proper operation of the same is assured and a more rugged device is provided.

A construction designed to'carry out the inven-,

tion will be hereinafter described, together with other features 01 the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a sampling device constructed in accordance with the invention and shown connected to the lower end of a drill stem with its bore closed by a plug,

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the device with a sampling tool positioned within the bore thereof in place of the plug,

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 44 of Fi ure 2, a

Figure 5 is a vertical, sectional view of a portion of the sampling device showing the sample tube extended in sample obtaining position,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2, and'talnm at a right angle thereto,

Figure 7 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partlyin section, of the upper end of the device, with the latch engaging one of the annular grooves to prevent upward displacement of the sampling tube,

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the latch disengaged preparatory to removal of the tube, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged isometric view of the sampling tube, showing its connection to the tool.

In the drawings, the numeral ill designates a drill pipe or tubing having a sampling device A,

. constructed in accordance with the invention,

mounted on its lower end for the purpose of taking formation samples from the side wall ofthe well bore. The sampling device includes an elonl4 extends across the lower portion of the recess l3 and has its upper surface dished and inclined outwardly toward the vertical wall of the well bore. A suitable coil spring I5 is positioned beneath the member l4 so as to urge it upwardly and outwardly. The deflector member is preferably hinged to the back wall of the recess, as will be hereinafter explained.

The lower extremity of the drill body is provided with a suitable drill bit It, which maybe of any desired type as called for by the formation through which the well is being drilled. A flsh tall bit is shown in the drawings for illustrative bit bores through the earth, particles of formation pass upwardly past the sampling device. In

order to prevent these particles from entering I the bore l2 and clogging the same, a plug I1 is suitably positioned within said bore. When it is desired to take a core sample, the plug I1 is removed and replaced with a sampler IS. The sampler is formed with an elongate upper portion,

or mandrel l9 and has a cylindrical sampling tube pivoted to its lower extremity. To obtain a core sample, the sampler is lowered into the bore l2 until the hinged sampling tube strikes the deflector member l4 and is swungoutwardly into engagement with the well hole formation. Suitable anchoring means are provided in the upper portion of the sampler whereby the latter is securely anchored within the bore l2. Down-. ward movement of the sampling device will force the sampling tube further into the formation so that a core sample is forced within said tube. Subsequent raising of theupper portion of the sampler will release the anchoring means and allow the sampler, along with the core sample, to be withdrawn from the bore l2 and the well hole by a wire line or other suitable means.

The sampling device may be suspended fromv the tubing string III in any desirable manner. It is preferable, however, to suspend the former from a tool joint or sub 2! which is in screwthreaded engagement with the lower extremity of said tubing and has a screw-threaded pin 20' formed on its lower end. An axial bore 22 extends through the sub 2| and has its extreme upiieferrdwnlarged so as to provide a counterbore having substantially the same diameter as the bore of the tubing. The enlargement of the bore forms an annular shoulder 23, which is beveled to prevent the sampling tube from catching or engaging thereon in its downward passage. A plurality of annular grooves or recesses 24 are disposed within the internal surface or wall of the counterbore below the shoulder 23 and have their back walls tapering downwardly toward the axis of said bore. The upper ends or walls of the grooves are inclined upwardly and inwardly, thereby forming annular shoulders 25, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

The drill body ll carries an internally screwthreaded box 25 .in its upper end, said box being engaged by the pin 20' and securely fastening the drill body to the lower end of the sub 2| The upper and lower portions of the body are substantially circular in cross-section, while the intermediate or central portion thereof is flattened on diametrically-opposed sides, forming flat, vertical surfaces 21 on each side of said body. As pointed out hereinbefore, the drill body has an axial bore l2 which communicates through the bore 22 of the sub with the bore of the tubing string l0 and extends downwardly from the upper portion of said body. The upper end of the bore 12 is enlarged, forming an annular shoulder 28, which is beveled downwardly and whose function will be described hereinafter. The lower end of the bore l2 cornmunicates with the vertical, elongated slot or recess l3 which extends through the wall of the drill body and which has a width sligntly less than the diameter of the bor l2. The slot is disposed in a vertical plane parallel to the two flat surfaces 21 and extends to a point substantially even with the lower ends of said flat surfaces.

The inclined deflector member ll, having substantially the same width as the slot I3, is pivotally mounted on the back wall of said recess so as to swing in a vertical plane. The upper or inner end of the deflector member terminates in a transverse cylindrical ridge or pin. 29 which engages within a transverse semi-cylindrical groove 30 formed in the opposite side of the body. The pin 29 is held within the groove 30' by means of a plate 3| which partially overlies a longitudinal portion of said pin and is held in position by bolts or screws 32 which securely fasten the plate to the back wall of the recess. Obviously, the pin 29 and groove 30 form a roller joint which permits the deflector I4 to swing freely. The coil spring I5 is mounted beneath said deflector member so as to constantly urge said member in an upward direction, as hereinbefore pointed out, and a keeper plate 33 is mounted flush with the exterior surface of the body II by means of a bolt 34, so as to engage the outer end of said member and limit its up- .ward movement to a position where said outer force the sampling tube in an outward direction as it is lowered through the bore l2. When the sampling tube engages the deflector, the latter will swing inwardly, or give slightly, so as to lessen the shock to the sampling tube.

It is pointed out that this member serves an important part in safeguarding the operation of the sampling device. If, for any reason, the sampler 3 should become wedged or stuck in the bore l2, it would be necessary to raise the entire sampling device A to the surface in order to dislodge said sampler. In a stuck position, the sampling tube 20 would project outwardly into the well bore, and would be in danger of being broken off as the sampling device encounters the lower end of the casing string. This possibility is eliminated by having the deflector member hinged and maintained in an upwardly swung position by the spring Hi. In the event, the sampling tube 20 strikes an obstruction in its upward travel, it would be free to compress the spring l5 and swing the member I inwardly, thereby allowing said tube to swing inwardly to a point where it would clear said obstruction. This arrangement is necessary only where the sampler becomes stuck within the drill body and serves merely to safeguard the device.

When the drill body is being lowered into the well, it is necessary to provide some means for plugging the bore l2, so that the same will not become clogged with foreign matter, and for this purpose the plug I1 is provided. The plug is formed of an elongated, cylindrical bar or rod having its upper portion enlarged to form an annular shoulder 35 near its middle or intermediate portion. The shoulder 35 is designed to engage the shoulder 28, whereby the plug is supported within the bOre l2 and prevented from passing therethrough. The upper end of the plug is formed with a fishing neck 36 which projects'into the bore 22 above the annular grooves 24 of the sub '2l and allows the plug to be removed, when desired, by any suitable type of fishing tool (not 39 provided on its upper end, is suspended from the mandrel, said shank being pivotally mounted within the notch 31 by a pin 43. The shank 39 is built up or enlarged at its lower end to form a screw-threaded pin 4i, upon which is mounted by internal screw-threads 42, the elongate sam-v pling tube 20, which has an axial bore 43 for receiving the well formation sample and which has the peripheral edge of its outer or free end 44 sharpened for cutting into the formation. An opening 45 communicates from the bore 43, through the pin 4|, to the spaceoutside the surface of the web 39, to allow any fluid present within the bore 43 to escape when a sample is taken. A shear pin 45 is mounted so as to pass through the lower portion of th notch 31 and the upper portion of .the web 39, and thus hold the sampling member ina vertical position. As

the sampler I8 is lowered through the bore l2, the

combined force of the spring l and the weight of said sampler bearing against the deflector member l4 will shear the pin 45 thereby allowing the samplin tube 23 to move out into engagement with the well formation. It is pointed out, that if a formation is encountered that is too hard to allow the sampling tube to pass thereinto, the spring I5 will yield sumciently to allow the sampling tube to ride down the wall of the well hole with the drill body until a softer formation is encountered.

The mid-portion of the mandrel I9 is surrounded by a tubular sleeve 41 which fits snugly and securely over the mandrel, said sleeve having a sliding fit within the bore l2 of the drill body, and extending downwardly substantially to the top of'the recess l3. The upper end of the mandrel carries internal screw-threads 48 which end of the sleeve is cut at an angle thus forming an eliptical bottom opening 50, and an elongate slot 5i extends vertically from the highest point cur'ed together. thi alining action will cause the mandrel to come to rest in the same position every time it is lowered into the bore l2. Therefore, it is assured that the sampling member 33 will always be in a position whereby it may swing outwardly into engagement with the wall of the well hole. It is desirable to place a small'bumper plate 41', having substantially the same thickness as the walls of the sleeve 41, at a point on the surface of the mandrel in vertical alinement with the slot 5| and spaced downwardly therefrom. Thi plate maintains the sampler alined in the bore l2 and obviates the possibility that the low ermost edge or point of the eliptlcal opening 53 will ride over the outer extremity of the pin 52 and jam the sampler within said bore. As seen in the drawings, specifically Figure 6, this plate does not in any way interfere with the action of the I pin 52 in alining the sampler within the bore l2.

The upp r portion of the sleeve 41 extends upof said mandrel. A latching member 58 is pivota-lly mounted in the slot on a pin 51 extending transversely thereof. The latching member is designed to swing outwardly through a rectangular opening 58 formed in one side wall of the sleeve 41. The upper end of the latching member is curved outwardly toward its outside edge,

slot 6| within which the latch member 58 is free to swing, and carries in its central portion a transverse pin 62 which passes through the opening 69 of said latch member. As has been hereinbefore stated, the rod 54 is free to slide within the sleeve 5?. Thus, as seen in Figure 7, the rod in its downward position, rests on the top of the mandrel l9, and the pin 62 is in the enlarged portion of the openingtt. In this position, the

of said elliptical opening up the side wall of the sleeve. A screw-threaded pin 52 is mounted in a transverse screw-threaded openin 53 in the side Wall of the drill body II at a point slightly below the shoulder 28 and in a vertical plane with the recess l3. The pin 52 projects a short distance into the bore l2 so as to substantially abut latch member is free to swing outwardly and engage beneath one of the shoulders 25, and thus secure the mandrel within the bore i2 so that any downward movement of the drill body will necessarily cause the mandrel to move downwardly therewith. When the rod 54 is raised, the pin 62 will ride upwardly in the. opening 50, and because of the reduced size and slanted walls of the opening, force the'latch member to move back to a central or vertical position, as shown in Figure 8. After this operation, the latch member is not engaged beneath the shoulder 25 and the entire sampler I8 is free to be withdrawn from the bore l2.

It is pointed out that the sampler can be lowered into, and raised from, the well bore by any desirable means. It may be run on a wire line or, as shown in the drawings, the upper portion of the rod 54 may be provided with a fishing neck 63, whereby suitable fishing tools (not shown) may be lowered into the well hole to remove the'said sampler. Also, it is desirable .to

have a guide member or ridge 64 mounted on the back portion oi the drill body,.diametrically 20 must necessarily engage the wall of the well bore. The guide member is shown in the drawings as fastened to the drill body by bolts 65, but any suitable fastening means may be satisfactorily used.

- It is necessary to make some provision for allowing the drilling fluid to be pumped down the tubing string to the drill bit and yethave the axial bore of the drill body unobstructed so that owing operations may be facilitated. For this purpose, a pair of diametrically opposed vertical grooves 65 are provided in the bore of the sub 2|, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 6. These grooves lie in a vertical plane at a right angle to the vertical plane in which the latching member 56 lies, whereby it is impossible for the latter to engage in one of said grooves and thus fail to anchor the sampler 18 within the bore [2. A

pair of diametrically-opposed ports 61 communicate between the box 26 and the spaces exterior of the flattened surfaces 21. When the sub is engaged within the box 26, the grooves 66 and the ports 61 are in registration, whereby communication is set up between said grooves and said ports. Elongate members 68, substantially semi-circular in cross-section, are secured to the exteriors of the surfaces 21 by welding or other suitable means, and extend vertically throughout the length thereof. These members form passages or water-courses for conducting the drilling fluid from the ports 61 to the lower end of the drill bodyTlT Registering vertical ports 69 are provided in the lower end of the drill body to conduct fluid to the bottom thereof. In this manner, the drilling fluid may be-conducted from the tubing 10, through the grooves 66', the ports 61, the passages 68, and the ports 69, to the lower or drilling end of the device, whereby the bore of said device may be utilized for accommodating sampling equipment.

When, in the course of drilling operations, it is desired to take core samples of the formation through which the well bore is passing, a fishing tool (not shown) is lowered into the well bore until said tool engages the fishing neck 36 on the top of the plug l1. The plug is withdrawn from the bore l2 and the sampler I8 is lowered in its stead. When the sampler strikes the dished and inclined upper surface of the deflector member H, the pin 46 will be sheared, as described hereinbefore, and the sampling member 38 will move outwardly through the opening of the recess l3 so that the sampling tube-20 is forced into en'- gagement witn the well formation. At the same time the latching member 56 will be free to swing to one side into engagement with one of the notches 25. Itis to be noted that the tendency of the latch will be to swing in this direction since its center of gravity lies in a vertical plane on that side of the pin 51. After the latch has swung into position, the sampler is held securely within the bore l2 by the action ofsaid latch and the engagement of the shoulder 26 by the shoulder 49 on the mandrel. When this operation has been completed, th drill body H, carrying the sampling mechanism, is lowered further into the well hole, thereby forcing the sampling .tube 20 into the formation in a horizontal position. A fishing tool (not shown) may then be utilized to engage the fishing neck 63 and release the latch member 66 as hereinbefore described, whereby the samplingmechanism maybe with,- drawn from the well bore.

Obviously, by these operations and with this device, samples may be taken at any desired time or point during the drilling operation. Also, if desired, the drill body can be raised within the well bore, and samples of the various formations and strata, through which the drill body has already passed, may be taken. As pointed out hereinbefore, any type of drill bit may be mounted on the lower end of said drill body, and, since the drilling fluid is by-passed through the water-courses 68 and the sampling mechanism is separate therefrom, both drilling and sampling operations may be carried out substantially simultaneously. The device is simple and sturdy in its operation, and, due to the action of the guide member 64 in centering the device in the well bore, the operator is always assured of obtaining acore sample.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the principles taught by. this invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sidewall sampling device which is adapted to be lowered into a well bore and includes, a housing having a longitudinal opening, sampling means designed to be passed through said opening, means for locking said sampling means in position within said opening, a deflector plate at the lower end of said opening for forcing said sampling means into engagement with a side wall of the well bore said deflector plate being pivotally mounted and having resilient means compressed therebehind, and means for removing said sampling means to the surface of the well while the housing remains within the well bore.

2-. A side wall sampling device which is adapted to be lowered into a well bore and includes, a drill body havinga longitudinal opening therein, a drill bit mounted on the lower extremity of said drill body, sampling means designed to be passed through said opening, means for locking said sampling means in position within said opening, a deflector plate for forcing said sampling means into engagement with a side wall of the well .bore, said deflector plate being resiliently mounted within the drillbody, and

means-for removing said sampling means to the surface of the well while the drill body remains within the well bore.

3. In a side wall sampling and testing tool, a body to receive and deflect the sampler member through a lateral opening therein, an arm pivoted in said opening, and spring means to normally hold said arm in position to deflect the sampler but yieldable to allow the sampler to move in flush with said body by the depressin of said arm.

- W. NORMAN OSWALD. 

